Ashes 2023: Ben Duckett’s Impressive Performance, Jim Maxwell Surprised & Another Wicket Lost Due to No-Ball

Day Two Recap:

The second day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s proved to be a rollercoaster ride filled with drama and entertainment. After Australia was bowled out for 416 before lunch, thanks to an impressive century by Steve Smith, England ended the day on 277-4, with Ben Duckett falling just short of a century on 98.

However, England could have had better control over the game as they fell from 188-1 to 222-4 during the evening session. Opener Duckett expressed frustration after missing out on his second Test century at Lord’s in as many matches and his first in an Ashes series.

What raised eyebrows was the manner of Duckett’s dismissal – taking on the short ball. Some questioned this decision considering his good form recently. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that Duckett currently boasts an average of 53.58, which is the highest among any England opener who has played more than ten Tests since Dennis Amiss in the early ’70s.

Criticism Towards England:

“This is the weirdest, most bizarre hour of cricket I’ve ever seen in The Ashes,” commented Australian Test Match Special commentator Jim Maxwell regarding England’s approach towards batting late on day two. The dismissals of Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root were particularly disappointing as they all fell victim to attacking short balls.

This playing style left Maxwell baffled and he even compared it to baseball techniques. Starting off strongly at 188-1, England’s trio of wickets fell in a cheap and frustrating manner, resulting in a collapse to 222-4 during the evening session.

Red for Ruth Day:

Day two at Lord’s was dedicated to “Red for Ruth,” honoring the late wife of former England captain Sir Andrew Strauss. Ruth Strauss passed away from non-smoking lung cancer at the age of 46. In her memory, Sir Andrew has established the Ruth Strauss Foundation, which supports families preparing for the death of a parent.

Red for Ruth’ day is observed annually during a Test match and sees players, spectators, and pundits donning red attire at Lord’s Cricket Ground. It serves as a reminder of the foundation’s cause while bringing awareness to non-smoking-related lung cancer.

No-Ball Controversy Continues:

In an unwanted battle between England and Australia in this Ashes series, we witnessed another dismissal being chalked off due to a no-ball. At Edgbaston, Stuart Broad controversially dismissed Usman Khawaja on 112 before he went on to make an impressive score of 141 after that reprieve.

This time around, it was Joe Root who benefited when he was caught behind by Alex Carey for just one run off Cameron Green’s bowling. However, Root failed to capitalize on his second chance and eventually fell for only ten runs – but hey! It was good while it lasted!